Aquitian Rescue
by actionman81
Summary: The Rangers question Billy's decision to live with Cestria. Kimberly returns to Angel Grove.


Angel Grove, California, Spring 1997

Command Center

"Greetings Rangers. We wanted to let you know that the reversal process was a success. Billy is young again" Cestria's image appeared on the viewing screen  
"Way to go Billy" Adam grinned.  
"Terrific" Kat smiled, "When are you coming home Billy?"  
"Actually, I'm not." Billy's image fizzled onscreen, "Guys, I've made a really important decision." Kat's face fell as she listened to the message, Billy continued "I'll miss you all but I'm going to stay here on Aquiatar, with Cestria. I think I've finally found someone with whom I can relate to" Billy's voice sounded forced  
"I knew you would Billy" Tommy nodded solemnly  
"I just didn't think she'd be from another planet" Rocky joked  
"We're really happy for you" Kat forced a smile  
"Yeah, we're going to miss you, man" Jason grinned  
Cestria came back onscreen, "He's so happy, he's speechless" she smiled sweetly  
With that, the transmission died.  
The team felt genuinely happy for Billy, but something seemed amiss. "I knew Billy would find someone, but I thought it would be someone from Earth" Tommy conceded, "I don't want to say it" he thought, "but I really thought it would be Kimberly". "After Kimberly went to the Pan Global Games, we didn't hear from her" he sighed  
"If anyone would know what's going on, it would be Kim" Jason agreed, "Zordon, can you save that transmission?"  
"Yes Jason" Zordon's voice boomed  
"Right" Rocky nodded, "you said that you, Kim and Billy all went to grade school together"  
"Yeah" Jason grinned, "but even I don't know Billy as well as she does"  
"What do you mean?" Tommy looked bewildered  
"Let's just say they've been very, very close to each other" Jason concluded, referring to the time Billy and Kimberly switched bodies

Aquitar, Cestria's dwelling

"That was very good Billy" Cestria smiled. The smile faded, "Now just lie back down"  
Billy took a step back. Unfortunately, one side effect from the Eternal Fountain, along with giving him his youth back, made him more subdued and impressionable, "Ok" his voice was meek  
"I was right about the waters having been known to work miracles" she smiled, "they performed something of a romantic miracle for me"  
Billy shook his head, blinked his eyes several times, "Something very wrong is going on here" he tried to shake off the side effects of the Eternal Fountain  
"Oh Billy" Cestria reached out to caress his cheek. Billy flinched at her touch, "You don't even realize what you said"  
"I said I missed my friends and that I knew they'd come get me"  
"I don't think they'll be coming anytime soon" Cestria pressed a button and played back Billy's transmission. Billy stood there, slack jawed, seeing himself say that he found someone he could relate to.  
"I—I have someone, but—" he couldn't finish the statement  
"I had hoped it would be me, too" Cestria shook her head, "but in time, I'm sure you'll see how wonderful it is here"  
"Wonderful?" Billy took another step back

Angel Grove Youth Center

"Speechless? Tongue tied maybe, but Billy's never been speechless" Jason shook his head  
"What's this about him and Kimberly?" Rocky set a few sodas down on the table  
"I can explain it later on" Jason waved the question away  
"It might help us get Billy back" Kat implored  
"Oh alright" Jason conceded, "Billy had made this invention that would allow two people to read each other's thoughts"  
"Awesome" Adam ejaculated  
"It was" Jason smiled, "but for some reason, the machine didn't work right and Billy and Kimberly ended up switching bodies"  
"Not cool!" Rocky groaned  
"What was interesting," Jason continued, "was that the machine has two spaces provided, one of them could only fit Kimberly . We realized that when Skull had trouble standing in it. My guess is that Billy made the invention specifically for her" he concluded  
Nobody had to mention that Tommy and Kimberly had dated, but Tommy had received a breakup letter where Kimberly had mentioned that she'd met someone new in Florida.  
"Tommy" Adam started, "do you still have –" he hesitated, "the letter?"  
"What about it?" Tommy grew sullen  
"At least we'd know how to contact Kimberly to let her know about what happened to Billy"

Florida

"Oh my gosh" Kimberly reread the Tommy's letter, "I can't believe this happened". Kimberly leaned back in her swivel chair, "I've got to go back to help Billy" she meant returning to Angel Grove, "But how?" she glanced at her gold and silver medals in their shadow box on her apartment's wall, "the Games have finished, and there's nothing really here for me anymore" she thought back to the letter she'd written to Tommy. "How do I tell him that whatever Ryan and I had finished just as soon as it had started" she remembered the guy she'd referenced in her letter to Tommy. "How do I tell him I don't want to start anything up again now?"

Aquitar, Cestria's dwelling

Cestria sat across Billy at the dining table, "You haven't touched your food"  
"I, uh" Billy looked down at the plate. It was some kind of stew with noodles. It looked disgusting. He made a face  
"We do our subsisting on pure water, but of course you'd need something else" she looked at him  
But Billy wasn't listening to Cestria. He was remembering another, more memorable lunch date

Angel Grove, 1993

"This is a beautiful day for a picnic" Kimberly sat down on the flat rock  
"So, what's for lunch anyway?" Billy eyed the blue insulated lunch pack that she'd brought  
"Fish and chips" she opened the zippered compartment. Then she saw Billy's face fall, "Is that ok with you?"  
"I'll just take the chips, hold the fish. Sorry" he shrugged. There was something else Billy wanted, but it wasn't in the lunch bag  
"What's with you and fish anyway, Billy?" she looked at him incredulously  
"I've just had some rather humiliating experiences" Billy began, "It all started when I was little. While on an outing," he explained, "I attempted to recreate what I had recently learned about whirlpools, but my moving finger proved to be an exciting enticement to one of the fish below. The fish actually bit me" he confessed  
"That's hilarious" Kimberly laughed. She wasn't laughing at Billy though, but rather at the mental image of the fish making a meal out of little Billy's phalange  
"Don't laugh" Billy felt hurt, "It wasn't funny"  
"Come on Billy" she teased, "at least it wasn't a piranha"  
"Consequently, it's difficult for me to be near anything fishy"  
Kimberly held up the sandwich, "This fish sandwich won't bite you"  
"I don't know" Billy turned the sandwich over in his hand, "one can never be too careful" he looked around the lake, "Say, I wonder how the others are doing" He wasn't really worried about the other Rangers. He was just nervous and running out of good conversation material  
Kimberly smiled, "Maybe next time we can go diving with them" she suggested  
"Negative for me" Billy shook his head, "I'm much happier on dry land"

Aquitar, Cestria's dwelling

"What's wrong?" Cestria appeared to be genuinely concerned with his feelings  
"You're great and all" he tried to smile, "but I really need to get back to Earth, to Angel Grove, to my friends" he'd been thinking of one particular person, but he didn't dare say her name  
"You know you can't go back without losing everything we've gained" she lied, "besides, I'm not the villainess you've made me out to be"  
"I –" Billy started, "Maybe" he finally conceded, "but I can't just stay here forever"  
"Oh no?" her eyes narrowed.

Florida

Kimberly placed folded clothes in her open suitcase. "Oh, I almost left behind my jewelry box" she picked up the ornate wooden container and opened the lid. Amongst the earrings, necklaces and rings was a small silver colored piece of plastic. "Oh Billy" she sighed, and remembered an event from their past

Angel Grove, February 1988

Nine-year old Billy zipped up his blue jacket and looked over to where his friend stood, waiting for him  
"Hurry up Billy" nine-year old Kimberly called from the classroom doorway, "Jason and Zack already went home"  
"Almost ready" he slipped his hand into his jeans pocket and felt for something small and plastic  
They walked down the street, more aptly the sidewalk. Billy stared at her, her pink dress, the band-aid on her knee, and he grinned  
"What's so funny?" Kimberly stopped walking  
"Nothing" he shrugged, "You sure got a lot of Valentines last week" Billy knew. She'd gotten twice as many as the other girls in their class  
"Oh" she felt self conscious  
"That was neat" he quickly blurted out  
"I guess" she smiled  
"I – I got to ask you something" Billy knew he had to act fast. If she was getting so much attention from the other boys, it was only a matter of time before she was gone  
"Oh, ok"  
"Will, um" he dug into his jeans pocket and pulled out the small silver plastic ring. It had taken Billy five boxes of candy coated popcorn to find the ring. Instead of a jewel on top, the trinket had a red plastic heart. Pink was her favorite color, but red would have to do in a pinch, "Will you marry me?"  
Kimberly looked down at her canvas sneakers. Nothing  
"Oh" Billy shuffled from one high top to the other  
She looked up, "Yes" her voice was barely audible  
Billy grinned. Now they had to kiss. It's what people did on TV. He moved closer, but shut his eyes. People shut their eyes when they kissed on TV too.  
Kimberly stood on one foot, her other sneaker tucked behind her ankle. Her shift in position was slight, but it was enough. Billy moved closer, his eyes still shut, and he made his move.  
He kissed her.  
Right on her nose.  
He opened his eyes and looked surprised  
Nothing  
Then she giggled  
Then his nose turned red with embarrassment  
She smiled, "Come on" she took his hand. He looked down. She wore the ring, "my Mum made cookies. I bet if we run, they'll still be warm" They made a dash for her house, still holding hands. What a race. The best part was that they both won.

Kimberly sighed, held the small plastic ring in her hand and then let it drop back into the jewelry box. She finished packing, slipped her purse on her shoulder and took a last look at her apartment. She'd done so much here, experienced so much, but there was more waiting for her, back in Angel Grove. She had to go back to him, to Billy

Aquitar, Cestria's dwelling

"Just lie still. You're still weak" Cestria stroked Billy's forehead as he lay in bed. He tried to sit up, but was still weak  
"I've got to get—" he couldn't finish the sentence  
"I know you do" she pressed harder on his forehead, forcing him down onto the bed, She calmed down after a moment, "Just lie still now. Just. Lie. Still"

Command Center

"Zordon" Jason began, "It's been too long since we sent Kimberly that letter. Do you know where she is?"  
"Yes Jason" Zordon's voice boomed. An image came upon the screen: Kimberly was getting out of a taxi at the Angel Grove Youth Center  
"We've got to get to her" Jason realized  
"Let's go" Kat agreed  
"Wait" Adam held up his hand, "someone has to be here"  
"Kat, come with Jason and I" Tommy held out his hand, "Adam, Rocky and Aisha, stay here please"  
"Oh" Aisha looked dejected  
"If we all go, nobody will be here at the Command Center to take care of things" Tommy explained  
"Besides" Jason nodded, "if this works out, we'll all get a chance to celebrate Billy's return"

Angel Grove Youth Center  
Jason, Tommy and Kat teleported down to the youth center, just in time to see Kimberly at the juice bar  
"Ernie" she talked to the large barkeep, "I just don't know what to do"  
"It must hurt" he agreed, polishing a fluted glass, "that he went off with that foreign girl"  
"You don't know the half of it"  
"Kimberly!" Tommy walked up behind her  
"Tommy" she hugged him, "Jason" she gave him a hug. "Kat" she smiled at Kat and gave her a hug  
"Thanks for the letter" she smiled at Tommy, "I'm sorry about the other one"  
"It's – it's alright" he was hesitant, "I—I've got things to say too" he took Kat's hand as he spoke to Kimberly  
"Oh" Kimberly realized

Aquitar

Billy lay asleep, but as his body rested, his mind raced  
In the depths of his subconscious, Billy stood in a dark, unfamiliar landscape, one that was populated by misty shadows and little else, "Where am I?" he called out  
"You are where you are" a voice called back  
"I am where I am?" he thought to himself, "that's almost Popeye's slogan" he called out again, "Who are you?"  
"You" the voice came back. This time, the voice was joined by an image. Billy himself.  
"Me?"  
"You" the other Billy responded, smirking, "What's so great about you?"  
"I—" Billy started, but as he stared at his mirror reflection, he was at a loss for words  
"What's the matter, Billy boy? Cat got your tongue?" the other self laughed rudely  
"Ok, this is weird" Billy thought to himself, "If I'm me," he shouted, "then who are you?"  
"I told you, I am you" the other self repeated"  
"Negative" Billy shook his head, "there can only be one of me"  
"Let's just say I'm your untapped resource" the other self grinned evilly, "I'm everything you never thought you needed" the other self crossed his arms, "perhaps this might make things easier for you to understand" the other self morphed into a punk version of Billy, complete with headscarf, sunglasses and distressed clothes  
"Apparently, the Eternal Fountain has more than one side effect" Billy thought rationally  
"The Eternal Fountain has nothing to do with me. I've been with you all your life. I've watched you waste chance after chance" he leered at Billy, "Gee, I wonder what the others are doing now" he mimicked Billy's conversation with Kimberly during their date at the lake, "Ha!" he nearly spat at Billy, "You could've had so much, but you wasted it. Just in time for Tommy to show up and steal the show"

Angel Grove Youth Center

"There's no time for that right now" Jason's voice was urgent, "Kim, I'm really glad you're here, because we have to get to the Command Center now"  
"But, I'm not a Ranger anymore" she looked unsure, "how can I help out"  
"You know Billy better than a lot of people, even better than me" Jason conceded, "you're more than worthy to help out, more than – more than most of us" Jason, the leader, was being uncharacteristically humble  
"I know" Kimberly realized what Jason meant, "come on, let's go"

Command Center

"Zordon" Kimberly looked up at the floating head, "It's really good to be back"  
"I am also glad to see you again Kimberly" Zordon boomed, "In order to help Billy, you, Jason and Tommy will have to travel to Aquitar"  
"Won't we need some sort of shuttle for that?" Tommy thought aloud  
"You can teleport directly to the planet" Zordon explained  
"But I transferred my powers to Kat" Kimberly sighed  
Kat interacted, "You need them more right now"  
"Katherine," Zordon responded, "I will give you temporary powers" a silver coin appeared, "Kimberly, you will have the power of the Pterodactyl for this mission"

Aquitar

Billy lay deep asleep, waging a war with himself inside his mind's eye  
"Tommy? What are you talking about?"  
"Please" the other self laughed, "Such a big brain and you still haven't figured it out"  
"Tommy and Kat are together, so what? I'm not interested in Kat. I'm int—" he stopped abruptly  
"Almost there" the other self sneered, "Do I have to spell everything out for you?"  
Billy didn't want to say anything more. He remembered all the adventures he'd had with his friends, defeating various monsters. He remembered how Kimberly had helped him when one of his inventions had inadvertently backfired after one of the young audience members had accidentally crossed two wires. He remembered how Kimberly and he had switched bodies for a few days. He remembered asking her to marry him, and he remembered her answer.  
"Now you're getting it" the other self jabbed

Aquitar

"Ok, we're here" Tommy looked around. Jason and Kimberly materialized alongside him  
"But we're – us" Kimberly looked at her street clothes  
"Hang on" Jason began, holding onto the power morpher, "Gold Ranger Power" he shouted  
"My turn" Tommy nodded, "Zeo Ranger" he shouted, "V Red!"  
"Pterodactyl!" yelled Kimberly  
The three young adults morphed into their Power Ranger states  
"Wait" another person materialized next to them  
"Kat" Tommy was surprised  
"I couldn't let you do this alone" she took Tommy's hand, "we're all in this together and Billy needs as many people on his side as he can get" she squeezed Tommy's hand and let it go, and grasped her power morpher, "Pterodactyl!" she yelled and immediately morphed into another Pink Ranger  
The two Pink Rangers looked at each other  
"I can't believe you wore the same outfit" Kat joked  
"We'll have to go shopping when this is over" Kimberly laughed  
"You'll have plenty of time later on" Jason put his hand between the two ladies, "we've got to get moving" he pointed to a small sea of buildings in the distance, "let's go!"

Aquitar, Cestria's dwelling

Inside Billy's mind, the battle went on  
"Tommy and Kat" Billy shrugged, "so what. I don't want Kat, I want—" he couldn't bring himself to say her name.  
"This again?" the other self frowned, "quit being such a panty waist and just say it"  
Billy glared at him, "fine. I miss her. I want her. I think I've wanted her for as long as I've liked girls" he referenced puberty  
"Warmer, warmer, burning hot" the other self danced mockingly at Billy

Aquitar

"We're almost there" Jason urged the others. Outside, Aquitians stared at the Rangers' brightly colored costumes, but did little else. Tommy stared at an Aquitian as he stared at Tommy, until Jason pulled Tommy along.  
"Here's her pad" Jason realized  
"How can you tell?" Kat stared at the dwelling  
"Look inside" Jason pointed. Through the transparent pane, the four Rangers saw Billy asleep on a bed  
"Oh Billy" Kimberly moved closer to the window and pressed her hands against the glass  
"He's very comfortable," Cestria appeared at the entry portal  
"How would you know?" Kimberly glared at the other woman  
"I care for him" she crossed her arms, "very much"  
"I can see that" Kimberly was sarcastic  
"What have you done to him?" Jason inquired  
"He's still very weak" Cestria seemed genuinely concerned, "it appears to be a side effect of the Eternal Fountain's reversal process"  
"Let him go" Kat readied herself for battle  
"Hang on" Tommy held Kat back, "maybe she's right"  
"What are you talking about?" Kimberly stared at him  
"What if—" he began, "what if she's just so desperate for love and affection that she goes to drastic lengths?"  
"Like the Abominable snowman?" Kat wondered aloud, referencing the children's animated episode that referenced Of Mice And Men  
"Something like that" Tommy nodded, "look at what Rita did to you and I just to get what she wanted"  
"Right" Kat agreed, taking his hand. Their mutual understanding of what it meant to have been under mind control as well as what it took to break that control had strengthened their relationship bond  
"Get to the point" Cestria blocked the doorway  
"We know how you must feel" Jason realized Tommy's meaning  
"Speak for yourself," Kimberly glowered at Cestria  
"So much anger" Cestria shook her head, "will only distract you"  
"Distract this" Kimberly charged ahead, prepared to ram Cestria away from the door. Cestria put out her hands and stopped her. The two women began grappling right there in the doorway. Kimberly didn't know what had come over her, but all she knew was that this female alien was keeping Billy captive against his will. Cestria pushed Kimberly against the wall, but Kimberly kicked Cestria's shins. Finding little hair on Cestria to grab hold of, Kimberly was at a slight disadvantage. Cestria tried to force Kimberly's helmet off her head  
"Catfight!" Jason involuntarily exclaimed  
Kat tried to stop the two women's hand to hand combat, but Cestria shoved her aside, then tried to slam Kimberly's helmet, along with her head, against the wall

Aquitar

Billy slept fitfully. Inside his mind, the battle raged on  
"Come on, Billy boy" the other self taunted, "who do you miss?"  
"Kimberly" Billy gritted his teeth  
"I can't hear you" the other self sang, cupping his hand to his ear  
"KIMBERLY!" Billy exploded

Aquitar

Cestria held Kimberly's helmeted head in her hands and prepared to slam the Ranger's skull into the wall a second time  
"Kimberly!" Billy screamed from inside the dwelling  
Cestria whipped her head towards him  
Kimberly took advantage of Cestria's distraction and kneed the alien between her legs. Surprisingly, Cestria yelped in pain and turned back to her attacker. Kimberly saw her chance and slammed her helmet into Cestria's head, striking the alien's massive cartilaginous ridges.  
Cestria gasped as she felt Kimberly's helmet smash into her forehead's soft cartilage and collapsed to the floor  
Leaving her assailant incapacitated, Kimberly rushed into the dwelling and found Billy lying on the bed, bathed in sweat, "Oh God, Billy" she removed her helmet and cradled his head in her hands, "C'mon, Billy- time to wake up."  
Billy opened his eyes, "I don't believe it" he smiled, "I must be dreaming. Is it really you?"  
Kimberly looked down at him, "In the flesh."

Angel Grove Youth Center

"It was nice of you to help set this up" Kat squeezed Tommy's hand. The pair sat at the Youth Center's Juice Bar. Ernie set four glasses on the countertop  
"I wanted to do something for Kim and Billy" he motioned over to the pair, who were walking in, hand in hand  
"Right on time" Kat waved to Kimberly and Billy  
"I see you've got your Earth legs back" Tommy joked  
"Affirmative" Billy grinned  
"You looked pretty cozy back there" Ernie poured the four drinks, "what were you talking about?"  
"College" Billy nodded, "I'd like to hopefully become one of the world's leading scientists"  
"Billy's so smart" she slipped her hand in his, "I always went to him for help with homework"  
"Unfortunately, nothing else at the time" Billy quipped  
"And you've always been such a giving person and always helped me out" she squeezed his hand  
"Billy's headed for college" Ernie looked over to him, then turned to Kimberly, "and what about you?"  
"Oh, I want to go to college, I was thinking about being a teacher since I love working with little kids, but I also wanted to own a gym and coach gymnastics, as well as write; there are so many things I want to do"  
"Whatever you do" Ernie commented, "I know you'll do it very well"  
"She already does" Billy grinned


End file.
